Timeline & Milestones

1960

April 14 – Governor Pat Brown signs the Donahoe Higher Education Act (also known as "The Master
Plan"), uniting the University of California, the California State University, and the California
Community Colleges system, and differentiating the missions of each.

San Diego State joins the California State College (CSC) system. Founded in 1897, San Diego
State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region.

San Francisco State becomes part of the California State College system. Founded in 1899,
San Francisco State was the first normal school (teachers' college) in the nation to require
high school diplomas for admission.

The first classes open in September at Stanislaus State College on the Stanislaus County
Fairgrounds. The college was authorized in 1959 as the Master Plan discussions were underway.

The California Polytechnic University (now Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
entered its 12th float in the Rose Parade. The Cal Poly float has appeared in the Rose
Parade every year since 1949, winning nearly 50 awards and trophies over the years.

1961

The Board of Trustees assumes responsibility for
the CSU system. The Board of Trustees governs the entire 23-campus system, adopting rules,
regulations and policies governing the CSU.

Sonoma State College opens to 250 students, offering the first Bachelor of Arts degree in
elementary education.

1962

The State Relations office is established in Sacramento. The office was created to represent
and advocate for the CSU's interests with state government.

Glenn S. Dumke, president of San Francisco State College, is appointed chancellor after Buell
Gallagher's resignation. During Dumke's 20-year chancellorship, the CSU's student population
tripled and the board approved the modification of admission standards to require college-preparatory
high school curriculum.

1963

The International Programs office is established
at San Francisco State College. Programs send students to five countries: France, Germany,
Spain, Sweden and China (Taiwan). Since its inception, over 15,000 CSU students have taken
advantage of this unique opportunity.

The State Academic Senate, the official voice
of CSU faculty in matters of systemwide concern, is established.

The California State College Student Presidents Association (CSCSPA) is founded. Later renamed
the California State Students Association (CSSA),
the organization represents each campus student association on issues affecting students.

1964

LA State College, whose campus was built in 1955 and first admitted students in 1959, is officially
renamed CSCLA and becomes part of the California State College system.

1965

CSC Palos Verdes, later to change its name to CSU Dominguez Hills, opens to students. College
enrollment totals 27 freshmen and 14 juniors, and its first commencement ceremony in 1967 saw
four students graduate. Today, nearly 14,000 students attend CSU Dominguez Hills.

CSCSB (known today as CSU San Bernardino) opens to students on its original three-building
campus. Today, CSU San Bernardino is home to the Coussoulis Arena, the largest indoor venue
in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

1966

California Polytechnic University at Pomona becomes a separate polytechnic state college
campus. The university first opened in 1938 with an all-male enrollment of 110 students as
the Voornis Unit at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In 1961, 329 women joined the student body. Today
Cal Poly Pomoma supports the education of over 21,000 students.

The Government Relations office is established in Washington, D.C. Known today as the Office
of Federal Relations, it leads system
efforts to formulate and coordinate federal priorities of the CSU's 23 campuses.

Did You Know...

Judo coach Yosh
Uchida at San José State College, now San José State University, helped
turn the martial art into a competitive sport and led the U.S. team to a bronze medal at
the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

The Moss Landing Marine Laboratories at San José State
University comprise the second-oldest marine lab on Monterey Bay and have garnered international
recognition of excellence in research and teaching.

Fragments of Ludwig van Beethoven's skull and strands of his hair are housed in the Ira
F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San José State University, the only
research and study center in North America devoted to Beethoven and his music.

Cal State San Bernardino is the only campus in the CSU
(and possibly the country) with a center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

In 1960, 40 percent of the CSU's nearly 95,000 students were women. By 2009, there were over
430,000 students, 58 percent of them female!

As of 2009, the CSU has conferred 364 honorary doctorates to distinguished individuals who
have made significant contributions to their respective fields, the CSU and the world, such
as John F. Kennedy, Bill Cosby, Billie Jean King, Stephen Jay Gould, Julia Child and Isabel
Allende.